Burglar apparatus.



J. MATANY. BURGLAR APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

3 $HBETS-SHEBT l.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS J. MATANY.

BURGLAR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1912.

Patented Man-25,1913.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

. INVENTOR ATTORNEYS SHINGTON n c J. MATANY.

BURGLAR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9, 1912.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS UNITED. STATES PATENT OFF ICE.

JOSEPH MATANY, OF EAST TOLEDO, OHIO.

BURGLAR APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MATANY, a subject of the King of Hungary,residing at East Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Burglar Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a burglar apparatus for cars, especially mailand express cars that are often robbed by burglars holdingup a train andlooting the mall and express cars.

The primary object of my invention is to furnish a car with novel stepswhich when .tread upon will discharge firearms to either scare, injureor kill the burglars mounting the steps.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide a burglar apparatus thatcan be set in an active or inactive position, whereby the steps can besafely utilized for entering the car when the car is located at astation.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of theabove type that can be used in residences and embodied in a stair waylocated adjacent to a wall.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is afront elevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the movable step frames,Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the steps, partlybroken away and partly in section, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of aportion of one of the steps.

The reference numeral 1 denotes a platform sill or other support havingvertical walls 2 and 3, the wall 2 being at right angles to andconnecting the walls 3.

4 denotes stationary step frames secured to the wall 2, as at 5, saidframes having treads 6 and risers 7.

8 denotes platforms connecting the treads 6 of the stationary frames 4and mounted upon said platforms, adjacent to the ends thereof, aretubular sockets 9 having the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 9, 1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913. Serial No. 708,436.

lower ends thereof riveted or otherwise connected to the platforms, asat 10. Arranged 1n the sockets 9 are coiled compression springs 11 andplungers 12, said plungers rest ng upon the upper convolutions of thesprings 11 and in their movement guided by the sockets 9. The upper endsof the plungers 12 are riveted or otherwise connected, as at 13 totreads 14 having risers 15, said risers extending between the rear edgesof the treads 14 and the forward edges of the platforms 8.

l6 denotes movable step frames having the upper ends thereof connectedby a transverse bar 17 and the lower ends thereof slotted, as at 18 andloosely connected by pins or rivets 19 to the risers 15 of the lowermoststep. The movable step frames have looped portions 20 providingclearance for the lower edges of the risers of the other steps.

21 denotes bearings arranged upon the platform or sill 1 and journaledin these hearings is a rock shaft 22. Mounted upon this shaft is thelower forked end 23 of an operating lever 24. Mounted upon the platformor sill in the forked end 23 of the lever 24 is a sector rack 25 andengaging said rack is a pawl 26 carried by the lever 24. The pawl 26 ismoved out of engagement with the rack 25 by a pivoted hand piece 27 anda connecting rod 28. These parts are common to ordinary operating leversfor looking said levers in an adjusted position. Mounted upon the rockshaft 22 and extending below the platform or sill 21 is a crank 29having the end thereof provided with a roller 30. This roller engagesthe bar 17, and by shifting the operating lever 24, -the movable frames16 can be elevated to engage the under sides of the treads 14 and movesaid treads to a safety position.

Mounted upon the platforms 8, intermediate the ends thereof, arebearings 31 and secured to the wall 2 are bearings 32. J ournaled in thebearings 31 and 32 are rock shafts 33 and mounted upon said shafts,beneath each of the treads 14, is a crank sleeve 34 having cranks 35 and36, the former engaging the underneath sides of the treads 14. Pivotallyconnected to the cranks 36 are the bifurcated ends 37 of reach rods 38.These rods extend outwardly toward one of the walls 3, upwardly, as at39, and then outwardly again over a guide rod 40 secured to suitablesupports within the wall 3. The

ends of the reach rods 38 are bent to provide shoulders 41 and theseshoulders engage teeth 42 carried by wheels 43 revolubly mounted uponthe shaft 44, mounted in bearings 45 arranged within the wall 3.

Eccentrically connected to the wheels 48, as at 46 are the lower ends oflevers 47 loosely mounted upon a shaft 48, mounted in bearings 49,arranged within the wall. 3. The upper ends of the levers are looselycon nected to the lower slotted ends 50 of levers 51, loosely mountedupon a shaft 52 having the ends thereof arranged within the wall 3. Theupper ends of the levers 51 are loosely connected, as at 54 to thetriggers 55 of firearms 56. These firearms are connected to brackets 57carried by a support 58, arranged within the wall 3. The firearms 56 areinclined and the muzzle of each firearm is adjacent to' an opening 59 inthe wall 3, and this opening can be covered by cloth, paper or othermaterial, whereby the firearms will not be exposed to the forces ofnature that may enter the openings 59.

Operation: When a car equipped with the burglar apparatus enters thestation, the attendant of the car immediately shifts the levers 24,whereby the crank 29' and the roller 30 thereof will elevate the frame16. When the treads of these frames engage the under sides of the treads14, the treads 14 are elevated out of engagement with the cranks 35,whereby the rods 38, levers 47 and 51 cannot be actuated to dischargethe firearms. \Vhen the train departs from the station or railroad yardin engagement wit-h the same, the attendant of the car readjusts thelever 24 to lower the frame 16, thereby placing the treads 14 inengagement with the cranks 35. hen either of the steps are tread upon,the firearm will be discharged through the medium of the rods 38, thewheels 43, and levers 47 and 51. To restore the steps, rods 18, wheels43 and levers 47 and 51 to their normal position after having beenactuated, the lower ends of the rods 47 are connected by coiledret-ractile springs 60 to the wall 3. By using repeating or magazinefirearms, the firearms will be in position to be discharged shouldanother attempt be made to ascend the steps after the first attempt.

'From the foregoing it will be observed that the apparatus can beembodied in a structure having a vertical wall adjacent to the stairs,and that the steps of the apparatus can form part of a series of steps.Provision having been made for holding the steps of the apparatusagainst operation, the steps can be safely tread upon when not in adanger zone.

The apparatus in its entirety can be made of light and durable metal andthe treads and risers 14 and 15 constructed to represent ordinary steps.Vith the mechanism and the firearms concealed, it is almost impossiblefor a burglar to detect the presence of the apparatus.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a burglar apparatus, movable spring supportedsteps, concealed firearms, means actuated by a movement of said stepsand adapted to discharge said firearms, and means including movable stepframes, a rock shaft, and an operating lever adapted to move said stepsinto a safety position.

2. A. burglar apparatus, comprising movable steps, concealed firearms,means including rock shafts, cranks, rods and levers adapted todischarge said firearms when said steps are trod upon, and means adaptedto move said steps to a safety position whereby said firearms will notbe discharged when said steps are trod upon.

3. A burglar apparatus, comprising movable steps, concealed firearms,means including rock shafts, cranks, rods and levers adapted todischarge said firearms when said steps are trod upon, and meansincluding movable step frames, a rock shaft, and an operating leveradapted to move and hold said steps in a safety posit-ion whereby saidfirearms will not be discharged when said steps are trod upon.

4. In a burglar apparatus, stationary step frames, steps mo-vablysupported by said frames, concealed firearms, means including rods andlevers adapted to discharge said firearms when said steps are trod upon,and means including movable step frames, a

rock shaft and an operating lever adapted to hold said steps in a safetyposition whereby said firearms will not be discharged when said stepsare trod upon.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH MATANY. WVit-nesses JOHN Pnrrno, JOHN MATANY.

(cpies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

